Amazon's new Echo Show priced at $230, sports updated design that isn't ugly
The video speaker isn't as embarrassing to have in your home anymore.
Amazon is giving the Echo Show a sequel.
The online retail giant's new Echo Show, an update to its most expensive Alexa-powered gadget, boasts a revamped design and improved audio quality with an 8-microphone array. The device also rocks a 10-inch display, twice as large as the previous version.
The price on the new Echo Show remains $230 (£220, AU$349). Amazon, which unveiled the new product at an event Thursday morning in Seattle, said the product will ship next month. Preorders start Thursday.
The Echo Show, which added a touchscreen to Amazon's Alexa voice assistant, debuted last June. The Show's boxy design and the thick plastic border around its screen made it look outdated in an age of thin smartphones with nearly edge-to-edge displays.
The Show occupies an important position in the Echo lineup. Amazon is trying to get people to use its big screen for watching videos, making video phone calls and voice shopping. The idea is to make the device -- and Alexa -- an integral part of our lives. But an ongoing spat with Google means the Show currently can't play YouTube videos through an official app, a big downside for the product.
You'll be able watch YouTube videos through the Show's browser, an Amazon spokesperson said in an email. That feature will be coming to old Echo Shows once the new ones ship out.
The battle with Google goes beyond YouTube though, and the search giant has released its own smart assistant-powered displays that boast slimmer designs than the Show.
Amazon said the Show will come with the Silk and Firefox browsers already loaded. Show will also get Skype support.
The company also demonstrated support for games and step-by-step cooking instructions.
See also
First published at 10:58 a.m. PT.
Update at 12:03 p.m. PT: Adds availability of YouTube on the Echo Show's browser.
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